The Hollow Convergence
by Ajarel
Summary: As a new Shinigami appears, Ichigo is somehow involved in a new threat! Will he be able to rise to the challenge of the mysterious Quenar? It's up to every Death God in Soul Society to be able to stop...the Hollow Convergence. Will contain violence in later chapters.
1. The Child at Dawn

**Disclaimer: I do not own bleach or any of it's contents. Please support the official franchise.**

Author's Note: This being my first Fanfic, I have high hopes that you guys will enjoy this read and review, favorite and/or follow. This story takes place in Bleach after Aizen's defeat but before the Lost Agent Arc. This will not at first be obvious due to the lack of immediate information. The approach I took to this story was to begin purposefully anonymous, and slowly introduce my OC, Kokennin Satori, while the events surrounding his appearance unfold. Please be patient. :). Without further ado, I present the Hollow Convergence. Enjoy!

**Chapter One**–_The Child at dawn_

Karakura town lay peaceful in the brisk morning, her fashionable stores and dormant houses shining in the rays of the sunrise. Few people moved at this hour, but those that did could see miracles, some said. Kurosaki Karin was one of those people. She woke up at roughly six-o-clock each morning with Yuzu, but instead of cook, as Yuzu would do, she always walked around the town for half an hour or so, making sure she could be back in time for breakfast. Today was no exception as Karin strolled around the familiar complex of buildings, every so often taking the time to gaze at the sunrise when the angle was right, simultaneously avoiding the weird souls that lingered. Sometimes her walks were disturbed with pressing thoughts, so her walks were both comforting and pleasurable; and indeed things were troubling her right now, but she always did her best not to dwell on them.

It was on this particular day that she saw someone on her route back home. It was a boy roughly her age, by her estimation, but he was completely disheveled and stumbling as he walked, clothed only in a torn pair of cargo pants. She gasped, running over to him. "Hey, are you all right?" The boy stopped, attempting to raise his eyes to match hers, when his face contorted with pain, and he collapsed. This boy was curious. His hair was jet black with blood-red streaks which she assumed was dye, but his eyes were a dark blue, and his body was immensely scarred. Much more than this though, was a deep sorrow she could somehow feel seething from him. She extended an arm to held him up, saying, "Hey, hang in there! There's a hospital close by, I can take you the..." She never finished, as the boy suddenly swatted her hand away, standing up again though still visibly exhausted. "No... I can...still...walk." Karin got impatient. "Look at yourself! You're in no position to walk. My dad runs a clinic not too far from here; just come with me...I don't want to have to wait till you drop unconscious."

It was at this moment that he actually did fall unconscious. Karin moved to stop his fall, but something appeared in time to catch him. She looked up, breathing sharply as she made out the figure. "Ichi...ni?" Ichigo smiled at her, holding the boy over his shoulder. "Hey, Karin. Sorry. Say hi to Yuzu and dad for me, but I have to go. I promise I'll explain everything to you once it's over." With that Ichigo was gone as soon as he had appeared. She could feel herself growing both sad, and joyful as well, while with that joy she harbored anxiety for the future. She ran back to the house, where Isshin, Yuzu, and Kon, posing as Ichigo, were already at table, waiting for her to return. Karin burst into the house, out of breath. She realized she couldn't tell them about her encounter, since they believed that Kon was Ichigo, so she decided to act normally, as Ishhin berated her for being late. She sat down to breakfast, thinking it over, her anxiety growing. "Ichi-ni...I hope he's alright!"

…

Meanwhile, Ichigo was using Shunpo to travel faster, still holding the boy, who was starting to regain consciousness, over his shoulder. Ichigo slowed down to let the boy down on top of an apartment building, where the child opened his eyes again, who though his pain had subsided, still had difficulty keeping them open. Ichigo figured that this was one of the new guardians of Karakura, but for he didn't recognize him. "Try not to move too much. I applied a low-level Kido, so you aren't in any danger at the moment. Whats your name and which squad are are you from? I can't see your kimono number while you're in your Gigai." The boy blanked for a moment, lying on his back, breathing slowly, but soon sat up and, though still looking at the ground, answered Ichigo. "My name...is Kokennin Satori." "And your squad?" "I...don't have a squad. Sorry." Ichigo's eyes grew wide. "What?" He pondered to himself when the boy just looked away even further. He was shocked. This boy definitely had the Reiatsu of a Shinigami, and he could feel the presence of a Zanpakuto, but if this kid truly wasn't with the Gotei, then that could mean something very nostalgic. "Could it be...you're a human?" Satori looked at him curiously, finally showing signs of recovery. "What do you mean? Of course I'm human. Are you not?" Ichigo smiled as he extended a hand to get Satori on his feet. "No, I'm a human too. More importantly though..." Satori looked nervous as Ichigo retrieved something from inside his Kimono; a glove that had a strange red symbol on it, and pulled it over his hand. Suddenly Ichigo thrust his palm into Satori's chest, separating his soul from his body. This was terrifying to Satori, who had never experienced the detachment before, but didn't seem very surprised at all about his Shinigami form.

"The hell just happened? What did you do?" Ichigo would have grinned at his reaction, recalling his first time, but he needed to know something first. "Satori." Satori grew calm upon seeing Ichigo's serious expression. "Satori I need to know something. Who gave you these powers?" Satori's face grew somber again, as his expression turned into a grimace. "I...I don't know." "You're a terrible liar." Satori looked away as Ichigo pondered for a while, noticing the Zanpakuto at Satori's side. "Fine, I won't ask, if it bothers you." The sigh of relief on Satori's face spoke books to Ichigo. "But I do have a question for you. Is there anything you want to protect?" The question threw him off guard, but Satori nodded. "Yeah, there is." "Good, because those powers of yours...you most likely got them to fulfill that want. I won't ask about your past...but I want to propose something that could change you for the better, if you truly have something to protect." "Of course I do! Tell me." That was all Ichigo needed. "Then in order for me to tell you, you must know one thing first of all. My name...is Kurosaki Ichigo!" "Kurosaki Ichigo?" "Yeah. That kimono you wear, it symbolizes that you are a Shinigami, a Death God. It's the job of a Shinigami to send good souls, or Pluses, to...basically heaven, and also to purify bad souls called Hollows. Look around you." Satori did as he was told, scanning the town which was being roused as the sun rose higher into the air. He noticed some people scrambling about trying to start their days, but besides this he saw a number of transparent figures which moved about, but didn't venture too far from a general area.

"Those," explained Ichigo, "are Pluses; good souls. They are the souls of deceased that are unable to move on to heaven by themselves." Satori looked on with wonder, as one particular ghost hovered on the rooftop next to them. Without a word, Ichigo walked over to the ghost, and that was when Satori noticed the strange bundle on Ichigo's back. It was wrapped in a white cloth, but Satori didn't recognize the shape, until Ichigo grasped it's handle. It then dawned on him what the shape was, as the bindings untied themselves to reveal the huge scythe-like blade of a sword, smoothly sharpened and deadly. This startled Satori, but not overly much, as he gazed down at his own weapon. What did startle him was what Ichigo did with the sword. Thinking Ichigo would strike the soul, Satori was about to protest, but was silenced when he saw strange blue characters begin to glow on the end of the Kashira(Note: Kashira is the pommel of a katanna). He looked on in interest as Ichigo touched the soul's forehead with the hilt, who began to glow blue, and fade.

Ichigo stood up. "That, was something called a Soul Burial. It's what Shinigami do to help the Pluses move on." Just then a Hollow's cry could be heard in the distance, steadily getting closer, but Ichigo also sensed a Shinigami coming in the same direction. Just then his spirit communicator started ringing, which he promptly answered. "Kurosaki, you've spent too much time there. Do you have the survivors with you?" Soi Fong's voice grated in Ichigo's head. "Yeah, they're waiting at the Senkaimon. I'll be there shortly, but you should let them in now to be safe." "Eh? Why aren't you there with them? Are there still more out there?" "No, I found them all. However..." He looked over at Satori. "I found something else worthwhile." "Fine, just hurry and get back. I can't vouch for any Quenar that are out for you." She hung up, as Ichigo did the same. He turned around to see Satori attempting to reattach his body, a task at which he succeeded in about a minute. "Ah, I should also mention that you can't really do anything as a Shinigami without being in that form, so I'll need to give you a Gikon later on."

By this time the hollow was in plain view, dashing across rooftops, battling another Shinigami. Noticing Satori's curiousness, Ichigo explained, "That, is a hollow, a bad soul. They are the souls of deceased that have lingering regrets, festering upon those regrets to become...those. Emotionless, vengeful beings that devour souls. That sword at your side, Satori...that is what gives you the power to fight. It's called a Zanpakuto. While we use them for burials, we also use them to defeat hollows. Remember this Satori, if you wish to become a real Shinigami...your sword is the most important part of who you are. It represents your soul, and is itself a different being. Treat it as such." Satori was taking this all very well, but he felt a deep sorrow beset him as he remembered something from his past. "Ichigo." "Huh?" The boy's face was furrowed in determination, and even a hint of despair. "I must become stronger. Please, help me improve my skills." Satori bowed, but suddenly started wincing from the pain which had begun to return. "Naturally, that was my plan...but first we need to get you fixed up. Since you can't use spirit particles yet, I'll have to carry you." Before Satori could protest, Ichigo straddled him atop his shoulder again, and leaped onto the ground, where with a few more flash-steps, they quickly reached an empty park, where Ichigo released Satori. "Damnit, don't carry me around like I'm a kid. I can take care of myself." Ichigo smiled, then pointed behind the boy, who turned to see a strange bamboo door which slid open, emitting a warm light. "Come on then, Satori." The boy nodded as the two of them entered Soul Society, and the door closed shut behind them.

To be continued...

Author: Once again, please hold questions about the unfolding plot, which I plan to reveal in due time. The Quenar are new concepts which I shall likewise address. That said, please review this story in total honesty, as I want to know what you guys have issues with. Lastly, I must give a special thanks to Ketsuoni for his Fanfic: Digi-Academy, whose writing style inspired me to a new sense of the art. Anyway, thanks for reading! If you liked this at all, favorite and/or follow, but in any event, review. Thanks again!

Peace out ^_^


	2. Prove your Resolve!

**Disclaimer: I do not own bleach or any of it's contents. The only things I own are the Quenar and Satori.**

Author's Note: As a side note, this will probably be the last chapter I will release until after Christmas break is over in a couple weeks. Also, I will attempt to shorten the explanation process concerning Satori, since I feel that it's taking up too much time, but be aware that my writing will escalate past this chapter, making sure to satisfy the bad-ass reputation of Bleach. Look forward to it ^_O. But enough of that, lets get straight to chapter two; enjoy!

**Chapter 2:** **Prove your resolve!**

As Satori walked past the gate into Soul Society, he immediately felt a peace befall him; alien, but somehow one that he had inwardly expected, as if he had finally returned home after a long exile. The buildings around him were reminiscent of Feudal Japan, with long alleys, which Satori surmised to be dividers for an organized zoning system, though he couldn't begin to guess at it's origin or structure. After a moment of composing himself, he looked down to see the familiar Hakama dangling about his feet. (Note: Hakama is the Japanese article of clothing also used in the uniform of Shinigami) "What the...why am I wearing this? Did you detach me again somehow?" Ichigo was studying Satori's reactions when the question finally reached him. "Ah, that's right. I forgot to tell you, but..." "Hello Ichigo-san. Soi Fong mentioned you might be late, but I can see you had your reasons, which I can only guess involve that boy beside you. Is he related by chance?" Satori looked up again to see a tall, blond-haired person with a green hat, holding a cane over his right shoulder, but what was most eye-catching was his casual clothing, which in no way resembled a Shinigami's attire.

"Hello there, my name is Urahara Kisuke. Pleased to meet you." "...Kokennin...Satori..." Satori was reluctant as he accepted Kisuke's outstretched hand. "Satori then? That's certainly a good name. I couldn't help but overhear your question, so let me butt in for Ichigo-san and explain. The Senkaimon here is the gate which allows spirits to enter and exit Soul Society, and normally can't be entered unless Jigokucho accompany the ones seeking access. Now..." Kisuke suddenly realized something and looked at Ichigo. "Is he...a human?" "Yeah. I found him like this, so I offered him training. Don't bother asking why though." Kisuke pondered for a moment, then resumed his explanation. "As I was saying, only souls are permitted through the gate, and since you're a human in addition to a Shinigami, like Ichigo-san in fact, your body was automatically detached so that your spirit form could enter. Any questions?" Satori was silent but noticeably confused, nodding his head until a thought occurred. "Wait, so Shinigami can only enter with the use of a...Jigo...kuchi? What are those?" "Ahem, Jigokucho. They are black insects, butterflies you might consider them, which float around Soul Society and help guide Shinigami." "So that's what that thing was. Hold on...if my body is detached, what happens to it in the real world?" Kisuke stood erect. "Ah, that is where I can help you. Since I doubt Kurosaki-san has one on him, I will provide what's called a Gikon. I happened to invent these, by the way. They resemble candies, but if I were to push one into the mouth of your body, an artificial soul, stored in the Gikon, would take your place in the body. In fact, I think I'll do that right now. Come by my shop to pick him up when you're done here. Ichigo-san will be able to direct you. Any idea how long he'll stay, Kurosaki?" Ichigo looked him in the eyes seriously. "I don't know." Kisuke lowered his hat. "Understood. I'll leave it to you then."With that, Kisuke departed to the real world.

Satori had one last question for Ichigo before they started off. "So, can I just walk through the gate like that? Even without a...Jigokucho...it seems like that's a bit too casual." As Ichigo started walking, his answer was heavy. "It is. Right now however something is going on that demands easy access to the physical world. It's only temporary; otherwise you would need the consent of a special corps here in Soul Society." Satori nodded and followed behind Ichigo. The two walked for a time as Satori scanned the building complex, which was viral with frantic Shinigami, each bustling about with some order or other. It was chaotic to be sure. What caught his attention were a few persons pacing here and there with an air of importance about them, and slightly different kimonos, though he had no indication of their status. It wasn't long before they reached a certain courtyard with a bright red bridge suspended over a pond; a sight both stately and refreshing. Beyond the bridge was a structure much resembling a dojo, and sitting on a mat in it's doorway, tending to a parchment of calligraphy, was a regal figure with a uniform completely different from the usual Shinigami get-up, being much more intricate and customized. They walked over the bridge as the man took notice of them, and Satori got a proper glance at him, noting his stylized hairdo and disciplined composition. Ichigo was the first to speak. "Hey Byakuya. Can I talk to Rukia? I need to ask her something important." Kuchiki Byakuya looked at Satori with a blank stare before returning his gaze to Ichigo. "She is still recovering, but if it is urgent, then you may talk with her. Before that..." Byakuya looked at Satori with curiosity. "I do not recognize him, but I feel a strong Reiatsu. Is he a relative?" Ichigo grimaced comically. "Why does everyone assume that? No he is not related. I'll introduce him at the meeting." Byakuya nodded nonchalantly, content with the answer, still maintaining his dignified composure, and returned to his calligraphy. Ichigo and Satori entered the building, turning down a number of halls to reach a room where Rukia Kuchiki lay upon the hardwood floor, supported by a mat and covered with a single white sheet. Although her forehead was heavily sweated, Rukia was conscious and breathing steadily. She looked up to see Ichigo and smiled, then saw Satori standing next to hm. Ichigo sighed, then got to explaining. As they talked, the sun climbed the heavens, trying to rid itself of the earth, and the heat finally began to settle.

(An hour later)

It was ten-o-clock as the pair of Shinigami made their way to the Gotei barracks. Ichigo and Rukia were able to explain the basics of Soul Society to him, so at the very least he was assured that he wouldn't look like a complete idiot at whatever meeting they were going to. While he was excited to meet the other captains, a part of him hated the circumstances, and his heart ached of painful memories. Dread befell him at the thought of what he might have to sacrifice to accomplish his goals. When Ichigo finally stopped, Satori found himself in front of another Dojo-like building, which was far more central, while beyond it was the center of Seireitei: a huge cluster of white buildings that was the headquarters of the Gotei 13, and beside it, a odd-looking plateau. Ichigo was having fun watching Satori's expressions, but quickly proceeded to urge Satori into the building. Further into the room, lined up against either wall, were the other captains. It was a great sight for a newcomer to see, but most of it was lost upon Satori, who was too concerned about how to please them. He had thought it over. There was only two ways he could ever hope to become a part of the Gotei 13, which, as he reasoned, was the quickest way to get stronger, and those were to be accepted or requested. Rukia made that clear to him. He didn't want to do it, but...did he have a choice? Would he have to reveal such a deep scar? He hoped against hope that he wouldn't. At this point the captains were all watching Satori with interest; some of them were more or less unsurprised, while the others had questions pouring from their eye sockets; especially, as Satori noted, a particularly young...and short, captain, who had silver hair, and the biggest eyes he'd ever seen on a person. Before he could take special observation of the other captains, an old man walked down the aisle of the barracks. This, Satori knew, was the current Commander of the Gotei 13, though for some reason the name eluded him. "Kurosaki...is this boy the reason for your delayed return?" Ichigo stood there in the center of the aisle. "Yeah, he is. I'll let him introduce himself." At this, Satori took a bow. "Good morning. I am Kokennin Satori. Pleased to meet you."

The captains were pleased with his manners, but one of them, a woman with dark hair and braids, spoke up. "Ichigo, did you risk losing the squad over this boy? You said it was something interesting, but I fail to see how he can be useful. He may be a human like you, but don't assume anything simply because YOU got lucky. A child like him cant possibly match the strength of a Quenar." At this comment the young captain suddenly got quite irritated. "So children can't be useful huh? Don't forget Hyouirnmaru and I first found our power at his age, Soi Fong. But that doesn't put aside the question, Ichigo. What do you plan on doing with him?" Satori spoke for himself. "I wish to become a member of the Gotei 13. Please accept me." The captains were hushed, but it seemed like they somehow anticipated the question, as Soi Fong spoke again. "How pointless. I wont be found wasting my time with a child in my squad. Do not be offended, Hitsugaya; you are after all a prodigy." Another silver-haired captain, this one being a lot taller but more frail, gave his opinion. "I too cannot permit a child to enter the Gotei in it's current situation. Were he to have decided this after, or even before this war, I would accept him, but as is it, it would be like murdering him." Ichigo suddenly put in his thoughts. "Don't look down on him just because he's young. If you need proof of his resolve, then let him show it to you himself. Old man Yamamoto, I request that we put him through the test." The commander opened one eye. "You would have him undergo the test? In order for that to happen, you would need to recommend him on a certain basis. I assume you are taking that responsibility?" "Yeah." The captains were all shocked. Hitsugaya Toushiro was the first to recover. "But...taking the test so early on...even I wasn't ready at that age!" Satori was lost at this point. He knew it would be difficult for him to be accepted, but for the captains to be so unnerved...Rukia made it sound so much easier. "Wait, what's so strange about this? I thought people joined the squad all the time..." Ichigo turned to give him a wide smile. "To hell with being a squad member. The test you are going to take...will determine whether or not you can be a captain or vice-captain." This news shocked Satori. To be put in a league like that was completely beyond his expectations. "But, I..." Before anyone else could protest, the commander slammed his stick into the floor. "It is decided then. The test shall be held immediately in the courtyard outside."

Satori's thoughts flooded as they proceeded to exit the building. If he was going to take this test, he would have to reveal his Zanpakuto, but that was a risk he was willing to take. What concerned him was how much he could do, and if that wasn't enough, how much he would have to reveal. If Ichigo was that confident in his abilities, then he supposed there was a chance to live up to their expectations...but how could he possibly be on that level? Did Ichigo know something about his powers that he didn't? Satori gulped in anxiety, resolving to do his best either way. "I can't stop here." he whispered to himself. The company assembled in the courtyard, where some onlooking shinigami stopped to watch, many of them wondering what was happening, and whispering to that effect, while others quickly spread the rumor that they were going to conduct the test. People were very skeptical at this, since a public testing had never been done before, and nobody besides a small child was among them that hadn't already passed the test or at least proven capable of passing it. At a glance from Yamamoto, every shinigami nearby immediately fled, returning to their duties, though they were still curious of this event. Satori stepped forward courageously in the center of their obvious arena, his mind still in turmoil. He gripped his Zanpakuto. "Um, what now?" This was when Satori noticed a familiar face step forward; Byakuya Kuchiki, who spoke to the Commander. "If no one objects, I would like to test him. Is that alright, commander?" "Very well. You may test him. First we must see if he is truly capable, as Kurosaki claims; only then can we proceed to analyzing his personality. I shall determine when he proves fit to join our ranks. Kokennin Satori. I must mention that you will be accepted into a squad regardless of this match. That much has already been decided. What I need to know is whether or not you have the potential of helping us win our war with the Quenar. That is all. Kuchiki Byakuya, you are not to go easy on him." "Very well." Satori had no idea what a Quenar was, but this was news both soothing and unsettling. Should he even try? If he was already an affirmed member of the Gotei 13, should he really risk revealing secrets in a fight with an opponent obviously stronger than him? He gritted his teeth. "I...I need to try. They might not forgive me...my friends. I need to know, exactly what I have to attain; the gap in my power."

As Byakuya stood in front of him, his emotionless face staring down at him, sword in hand, Satori felt fear. He grimaced. An image flashed in his head. A memory. Suddenly he was gripping his head, gasping as his heartbeat increased dramatically. This subsided after a few seconds, as he stood up to a surprised audience. "I'm aright. Let's get this over with." Satori unsheathed his Zanpakuto. Ichigo watched this take place, narrowing his eyes as he saw the blade. "Something's not right about that soul slayer..." He looked around to see the affirming expressions of the other captains, who must have been thinking the same thing. This was bad. Ichigo had sensed an honest heart in Satori the moment they met in the real world, but the other captains couldn't be so quick to believe that. He knew what they were thinking, and he didn't want to believe it himself, but they had trained themselves to detect an off-balance like this. It boded ill. For now, all they could do was see what happened. The atmosphere grew heavy as Satori clashed blades with Byakuya, who deliberately played with the young shinigami, trying to assess him and his powers. Byakuya found it was impossible to predict anything from Satori. His soul slayer was a mystery. He knew that it wasn't in it's released form; that much was certain, because he couldn't feel any force behind the blade: but he could sense it there, and what he sensed made him more cautious. Satori suddenly increased his speed. Byakuya was shocked at the amount of spiritual pressure a mere child was emitting, even if it wasn't anything compared to his. At this moment Byakuya decided to end this quickly rather than drag out the fight, so he flashed behind the startled Satori, where he prepared a kido, only to dodge a powerful slash in his direction. This surprised Byakuya, who promptly tried again, this time increasing his speed enough to cut Satori's shoulder before he could retaliate. Satori felt the pain searing through his arm, as he grimaced fiercely, trying to endure it. His blood poured down the length of his arm to fall to the earth, resounding in each drop, while it's relinquished master stood panting and doing his best to contain it. Byakuya stood before the young shinigami. "Kokennin Satori, do really expect to defeat me without using your Shikai? Or is it possible you don't know how to operate it? If you want power, you must first learn how to fight with your Zanpakuto. A shinigami who cannot do that is not worthy of his title, let alone a fight against me." Satori's limbs suddenly grew weak as another image wracked his mind, the same memory, one that never failed to haunt him since that fateful day. The captains panicked as Satori hit the ground with his hands over his ears, writhing in pain. Satori could only scream while his thoughts lamented. "Why...why...why does the pain pursue me? I thought I had forgotten...I want to forget. This is my resolve. This is my resolve! Just let me punish myself...how can I be forgiven when you force me to remember!" His mind went blank as he drifted into unconsciousness. The last thing he remembered was Ichigo's words, which seemed to distant to understand, while he embraced the darkness. Maybe I was never meant to forget...

To be continued.

Author: This concludes the second chapter, which will be continued after Christmas has come and gone. In the meantime, if you liked this read, please follow and/or like, but in either case review. I will be opening up a project for you, the readers, in my next installments, so keep your pants on until then; thank you, and Merry Christmas! :D

Peace out ^_^


	3. The world within

Author's Note: Here it is at long last! It may be a little late, but Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year. Lets get straight into chapter 3!

**Chapter 3: The world within**

Twilight fell. Neon colors flashed in shimmering arrays as stars seemed to float about Satori, who felt far lighter than the air itself; just a thought, floating on the wind. But the only thing that existed with him was the colored light. The colors mixed and separated, eventually settling on each other to form small crystallized diamonds that were simply suspended in their individual spaces, though some verged upon each other. Those that did complemented a brighter flash than those that didn't, but the objects were always animate, moving at different speeds in some sort of pattern. Now the lights were becoming more focused, as the general mass of color concentrated into orange, blue, white, and pink hues; yet the suspended crystals remained, moving in their irregular currents.

Satori's vision became clearer, as he finally identified the hues to belong to a calm sky, though the color scheme was odd. Somehow, he found it refreshing. The crystals were still puzzling to him, but his wonderment was intense enough to dissolve any prolonged thought on any one object. At last, feeling came to his limbs. It was a slow, strange experience, though not painful, which suddenly rejuvenated his awareness. Instantly his senses were flooded with exotic information. First came the wind, and the fragrance upon it. As he breathed, Satori inhaled a scent akin to that of a pink lotus, refreshing and pure, while the cool breeze gently brushed his hair and skin.

The second thing he noticed was the grass about his hands. It felt similar to normal grass, except the blades were wider and more rigid; but the most distinctive feature about this grass was it's unreal properties. It felt like no grass he'd ever felt before, almost like it were made of a very light, smooth metal, that was harmless to touch and bent like grass should; he felt a certain life inside it, while it was slightly warm and dry. Turning his head to observe this grass, Satori gasped at the vibrant autumn colors that donned the grass surrounding him, almost glimmering in their bright hues of orange, yellow, red, and green.

His gaze drifted beyond the grass where he could see a forest of Sakura trees, and these looked like normal trees, except for an unnatural glowing paleness in it's bark, while the blossoms themselves were brighter than normal. Satori decided to stand up to get a better understanding of his surroundings. As he did so, he realized that was still in his Shinigami uniform, but this didn't mean anything to him. Satori looked again at the Sakura forest, now brought level with his perspective, which had hidden beyond it a smooth, glass-like body of water.

As he ventured into the forest to get a better vantage of this body, it became apparent that wherever this place was, it was not in the physical world. His immediate thought treated it as a part of Soul Society, but he found it hard to believe that possibility. It was far more likely that this was a dream. Clearing the forest, Satori stopped dead in his tracks as mixed emotions washed over him. At first he felt awe, awe at the crystalline lake that surrounded him, still as can be yet somehow vibrant with life, glowing a strong amber hue. It was thus to his right and left, and from that vantage he concluded that this was either an island or a peninsula. Then, his awe gave way to horror, as he saw that beyond the waters, another forest, though not of Sakura trees, was burning to ash.

The forest, as far as he could tell from some mile or so away, was comprised of every tree he could think of, and although he could glimpse mountains beyond their peaks, the sky in that area was almost completely obstructed by the black smoke. He clutched at his heart, sweat coming to his brow. He couldn't explain why...but Satori felt like he was at fault; like he was somehow unintentionally burning that forest with his own hands. It made him sick, to see wonderful trees burned to a crisp and dissolve into the wind. Then he heard it.

A voice in his head cried out to him, "Satori! I am glad to see you again! I had given up on ever reaching your ears. It makes me glad that my efforts finally got through to you."

His entire body trembled, tears coming to Satori's eyes as the voice echoed in his head. "Sh...Shi're?"

The voice sighed. "Yes, I'm here, but what about you, huh? How long are you going to sit there sobbing?"

Satori dropped to his knees, still clutching his heart, one hand on the ground, and sobbed. "But I...I..." Suddenly Satori felt a hand upon his shoulder. He looked up only to see the empty air, but that feeling still remained, and somehow, he could imagine his friend standing there, looking into his eyes.

"Satori, do you know where we are?" Satori only shook his head. "This is a dream. It has to be." "Its not." The boy's eyes grew wide in shock. "But, if it's not, then where..." "This is your soul, Satori. This place reveals the grief in your heart, because you won't forgive yourself of a crime you think you committed. If it pains you to see those trees burn, then get over your misplaced guilt. Please Satori. I'm a part of you, and I can see the turmoil that your heart suffers. You walk about punishing yourself, never forgetting, but trying to suppress it anyway. Do you not understand Satori, how much you're ruining yourself? Look above us, and tell me what you see."

Satori lifted his eyes to see something far more foreboding. For one thing, the sky had turned black with overcast clouds, leaving no trace of the serene sky that had first captured him. The crystals were now motionless, dead as stones that simply floated in the air for no reason what so ever. This pained Satori even more, as he turned to see that though the plant life behind him had not died, it not longer shone with color, and might as well have been dead. Then he looked before him to see the waters of the lake had begun to stir; a tumultuous beast.

"Keep looking up."

Returning his eyes to the sky, Satori saw something that had been hidden beyond the dark clouds in the sky, something he had neglected to notice: a flying structure, distant in the sky, that regardless of distance seemed huge. "What is that?"

"If you want to know, you must first come to an answer. Listen to me Satori, and consider what I'm about to say very carefully. What you must choose now is your own self-pity, or your friends. As long as you continue to run we can never catch up to you, and the worst part is what you're running from. You're running from yourself, and in running from yourself, you can't see what you've left behind. Those who were once your friends have been forgotten. Me, Ajarel and Shaulon; do you really respect us? If you did, you would get over yourself, and come back to us. The power you seek will remain outside your reach until you do, and your efforts will have been in vain."

The young Shinigami felt himself go numb as he knelt on the ground, tears continuing to roll down his cheeks. He shut his eyes as silence surrounded him, and the world turned to darkness. "But...its because of me. I was too hasty and too weak. You're suffering because of my mistake." "Who's suffering? You can't mean that I'd be your friend and still blame you for an accident? A mistake? That's all it was Satori. We've forgiven you. It's up to you now to forgive yourself."

…

Satori snapped awake and sat up, feeling a sudden rush of heat upon his face, with sweat rolling heavy from his brow. He turned his head to observe his surroundings, only to find that Ichigo's face was mere inches from his. Surprise shot through him until Ichigo held up a hand. "Hi there. So your finally awake huh?"

The room was abnormally dark, but he could see well enough, not accounting for an occasional storm of blue sparks from just behind Ichigo.

"Where...is this?"

"Is he finally awake? Honestly, taking care of kids is such a drag; I hope he's grateful. Well, at least I get to salvage some data from his soul slayer, though I can't seem to get much out of it. It's very protective."

Satori couldn't identify the speaker, but the air of command was obvious. "Mayuri, you weren't given permission to treat it like that. Hurry and finish up." "Don't be a fool Kurosaki. This kind of information is crucial if you want to beat the Quenar. Just be thankful they haven't attacked Seireitei yet. I've only been able to learn so much from Luano's research, so don't begrudge me for trying to learn from this anomaly."

By this time Satori decided to get out of his bed, which resembled a patient's cot, and finally got a good glimpse of the captain he'd seen at the meeting: Mayuri. This captain was head of a research team, or so he'd gathered from Rukia, but the sight of him was astounding. The captain had a white robe, but also wore the strangest of head-wear, with a goatee protruding from his chin below a creepy sadistic grin. Ichigo explained as best he could.

"This is Mayuri Kurotsuchi, captain of the twelfth division and president of the Shinigami Research Institute. I should probably explain what happened before you ask any questions. When you fell unconscious about half and hour ago, two things happened. First, was that Byakuya recommended you as a vice-captain. Congratulations." Satori's face slowly formed a smile of relief. "However! Yamamoto-ji included a catch. In order for you to join a squad, you have to reveal your shikai to us, so that we know for certain we can trust you. Depending on what we see, we may or may not actually accept you."

"Shikai? What's that?"

Ichigo sighed. "Damn its a pain explaining everything. Well, your Zanpakuto has three forms. First is the sealed form, where it looks like a normal katana. The second form is it's first release, known as the shikai. I'll tell you about the third form later; for now focus on the first release. Do you know the name of your zanpakuto?"

Satori shook his head in the affirmative. "Yes, I think so." A thought hit him when he peeked over to see what was on Mayuri's desk. "Wait, is Mayuri-sama doing something to my zanpakuto?"

"Ah, sorry about that. When I felt the strange Reiatsu coming out of your zanpakuto, I simply HAD to get a look at it."

Ichigo scoffed. "You did a lot more than look at it." Mayuri simply stared at Ichigo for a moment. "As I was saying, I got permission to look at your sword, but I haven't quite finished my inspection. If you wait for another minute or so, I'll try one more experiment on it. Satori felt uneasy about the word 'experiment', but held his tongue as he watched the captain run an odd metal stick over his weapon, while a monitor above the desk generated incomprehensible figures.

Suddenly the monitor flashed a bright orange, and a similarly colored symbol appeared next to a stream of digits. Mayuri stood aghast at the results, picking up the sword to inspect it with his eyes, as if affirming that the sword actually existed. Then he spoke, though the unease in his tone was obvious. "This zanpakuto...it doesn't respond to anything I've tried. I detected traces of several different spiritual pressures, but I cant seem to locate the zanpakuto itself. Not that I expect you to understand any of that."

Something in what Mayuri said sent a shock throughout Satori's body. He clutched at his heart, (an action which by now was a habit of his); again the images haunted his head. His actions caught Ichigo's attention. "Hey, whats wrong?" Panting heavily, Satori meekly answered, "I'm fine. Just...need a moment." Ichigo narrowed his eyes, intently watching the boy, and feeling his patience slip. "Fine my ass. Come with me Satori. I'll be taking this Mayuri." He snatched the zanpakuto from Mayuri's hands, who was slightly peeved but even more curious of what Ichigo would do. "Huh, whatever. Do what you want, I have my hands full as it is." Satori quickly followed behind Ichigo, who stormed out from the structure into the familiar streets of Seireitei.

Satori kept pace with Ichigo, as they proceeded past Sokyoku Hill, till at the side of it's steep slope Ichigo revealed a passageway to a huge underground cave. This was the secret training grounds used by Yoruichi and Urahara, abandoned except for the occasional diehard trainee. Now alone in this cavern, Ichigo anounced, "Alright Satori, I've decided to begin your training now. If you can release your zanpakuto, then all I need to do is tell the commander, and you're in. Here, you'll need this." Ichigo tossed Satori his Zanpakuto, who caught it neatly before inspecting the blade earnestly, intent on it's security after the affair with Mayuri. A question was on his mind.

"Why are you helping me so much, Ichigo-san?"

Ichigo was caught off-guard by the title. "No need for formalities. I suppose I'm helping you because you remind me of myself. You and I are currently the only human Shinigami. I started out as a substitute Shinigami, but once this war began, Yamamoto-ji asked me to join officially. Given the circumstances I accepted. But enough of that; time to begin."

He had no clue what they would be doing, but Satori was determined to do his best, and his resolute expression was proof. Ichigo smiled. "Good, I can see you're ready to start. Ok..." Ichigo reached behind him to grab the handle of his Zanpakuto, and swung it outward, revealing it's dark blade. "One more thing. You should know that this is the Shikai form of Zangetsu, my Zanpakuto. You said you knew the name of your Zanpakuto, right?" "Yeah, that's right." "Then shout it's name, and your Zanpakuto's Shikai form should be released." Satori swallowed deep, then brought up his weapon, shouting, "Shi're!"

Nothing happened. Ichigo and Satori both stared comically into space until Ichigo put his palm to his forehead. "Damn, I knew I should have asked Rukia to help me. Are you sure that's the name of your Zanpakuto? Did you mishear, or... could it be you haven't spoken with your Zanpakuto yet?"

Satori looked at his weapon in confusion. "I thought I did, but..." "Huh? What do you mean?" The boy suddenly grew somber when he recalled his experience before he awoke earlier. As the boy stared at his feet, Ichigo just about lost his patience. The next thing Satori knew, Ichigo was a few feet in front of him, Zangestu making a fine sideways swing towards his body. By some kind of instinct alien to the twelve-year-old, he bent over backwards to avoid the blow, then quickly retreated to gain some distance between them.

"Ichigo-san, what are you doing?" Ichigo stared down the cowering Shinigami. "What I don't understand is what **you're** doing. Why would you keep your past such a tight secret? We can't help you if you can't share information like that, and if you won't tell me anything, my only choice is to force you into relying on your Zanpakuto; maybe then you'll understand how important that relationship is."

Ichigo flashed to Satori's side with another slash prepared, barely stopped by a staggering block from Satori's weapon. The boy threw off the attack then began running, trying to avoid fighting Ichigo at all.

Trauma was creeping into Satori's head as he desperately tried to fend off Ichigo. His thoughts were tangled in a mess of confused and conflicting emotions. "Why? Why does everything reject me? I want to get stronger so I won't have to carry this burden anymore! Shi're..." Satori closed his eyes, watered with premature tears. "Help me." Satori's eyes opened as he barely jumped in time to avoid another swing from Zangetsu.

"Finally! I thought you'd never ask."

Satori heard the voice resound in his mind before he felt himself fall. He didn't know how fast he was falling, only that the wind at his cheeks was sharp and icy, almost stinging him in his descent. Water droplets made themselves known as they soaked his robes down to the skin. He saw the world around change, morphing into a stormy sky that moved and raged in torrents, rain falling about his face in an almost suspended motion, which gave him an idea of his descent speed.

He turned his body around trying to get a grasp of where the ground was, if there even was one, and for a while he saw nothing, until it came into sight. He had seen it before, but had not known it's shape until now. What was rapidly approaching him, or rather he it, was and odd formation of stone: a circle, surrounded by three, long isosceles triangles of the same size that were equidistant from each other in terms of the circle, though not touching, and equally distanced from the circle itself by a gap of air. The stone was pitch black, save the deep blue streaks every so often that caught his eye.

It was getting nearer by the second, and Satori had no means of stopping his fall. However, as the got closer to the stone circle, the raindrops seemed to accelerate. Their relative speed increased as he continued to fall, until the wind was not quite so vicious, and the pressure on his body eased off. The circle was by this point mere meters from Satori's falling body, which all but levitated above the black stones. Their massive figures were impressive. Then, at last, Satori's feet touched the cold stone of the huge circle. He realized, as he glanced at the surface of one of the triangles, that it was a cylinder, rather than a circle, and the triangles were in fact triangular prisms, with their smallest sides facing towards the cylinder. The black stone at his feet wasn't just stone. It was almost alive, as he noticed the streaks of deep blue flying across its surface in no particular pattern. It was saddening to Satori, who looked around to see a similar effect in the prisms. Now the rain was drenching his clothes, chilling Satori to the bone, and causing him to discard the garment as it became heavy, favoring the plain white shirt beneath.

"So Satori, have you finally come to your answer?" Satori heard it again, only it seemed closer this time; as if touching the stone somehow connected him to Shi're. He clenched his teeth and fists as the rain continued to pour, and more tears sprang from his eyelids. "Shi're... please, I'm begging you...forgive me." "Didn't I say that I already did? What matters is you letting go and forgiving yourself." "But the pain is still real! Am I going to live with my mistake forever?" There was a pause. "Yes, I believe that you will. It's true that what is done cannot be undone, and even though you are not truly at fault, it is still your burden to bare. However! That does does not mean you have to bare the pain. Share it with me, Satori. Share it with your friends. We can help you move on, and to help you as you live life, and strive forward to accomplish your goals. Right now what matters is how willing you are to be a person who can believe in himself."

The boy could feel something in his heart stirring. Like a bird, it fluttered about, feeling the air on it's wings after being locked in a cage. A yearning commanded his desires as his heart and lips moved in synchronization to form just one word.

"Forgiven..."

Satori felt his tears drying. The heart within him became calm. He could hear Shi're calling out with glee. "Can you feel it, Satori? Can you feel the liberation of a tangled soul?"

Then he began to notice the miracles around him. First was the rain that pattered no more on the stone, and the dead wind which had stung him before. Then it was the stone at his feet, which had been cold to touch when he first felt it; now, it was a soft warmth that invited him. Not only this, but the black stone was no longer black; instead it was magnificently filled with vibrant autumn colors that were all constantly shifting and roaming upon the surface, colors much like the ones he'd seen when he first appeared in this world. This effect, however, did not extend to the three prisms, though those objects didn't have quite so many blue streaks anymore. The sky caught his attention next. It was just as refreshing as the time he'd lain back to look at it first not an hour ago, and the crystals could be seen floating in their patterns, their prismatic nature refracting a bit of light in all directions.

"Now then, I understand you need help with your shikai form?" Satori was relaxed enough not to be surprised by the sudden change of topic. "Oh yeah, that's right. Shi're, are you my Zanpakuto? Because from what Ichigo-san was saying, talking to my Zanpakuto should reveal its name, but when I tried calling out your name, nothing happened." "Haha, yeah that made me laugh. But you see, the beauty of what you just did has changed things for you. I'll tell you right now what this stone formation is called. It's name is Shinri's Isle. I made it up, but I think it's suitable." "Truth's island huh? That is a pretty name, but how does that help me?" "Well you see, right now you are standing on the core of the Isle, the source. I myself do not know the name of your Zanpakuto's particular shikai, and that can only be accomplished by listening closely to yourself, however...I believe in your ability to find it. Search inside yourself, Satori, and understand where you stand, here at the center of your power."

Satori indeed could feel a close power linked with the center of the isle, which was ever wild in its moving colors. "I am...the source of my power...believe in myself..." His voice started fading, but Shi're gave one more piece of encouragement to his friend. "Good, keep that up, and remember, let the person in your heart guide you, and truly be your source of power. Good luck!" With that Shi're's voice vanished, and Satori felt the answer emerging inside him. It came louder than a shout, and filled him to overflowing.

…

Ichigo saw Satori dodge his attack, but just when he was about to follow up, Satori suddenly stood straight before him, Zanpakuto held relaxed in his hand. He smiled. "Good. Find the answer, Satori." Then Ichigo decided to wait for a minute, leaning on his Zanpakuto. He hefted it again as he felt a powerful Reiatsu gushing from the Zanpakuto in Satori's hand.

…

Satori's heart was prepared. He opened his eyes to see Ichigo launch himself towards him, Zangetsu howling in the wind in anticipation of a blow. Then, the power which he felt grew in confidence, until at long last the answer came forth in abdication. "Guide me, KIGEN!"

Their blades clashed. Ichigo and Satori both stared at the black form of his shikai, which looked astoundingly similar to Ichigo's Bankai, expect for the chromatic nature of the blade, which was a constant flux of dark hues. Also the handle and guard of the sword were different. This one looked the part of a plain katanna, excpet for the power it was hiding in whatever ability it possessed. They watched as the dark blade changed. Its colors became brighter, slowly becoming a mix of oranges and yellows. Ichigo's analytic eyes knew what that meant, but Satori still had no clue. Then they disengaged. Ichigo's smile widened at the amount of spiritual pressure Satori was releasing. "Congratulations, Satori." Satori looked at Ichigo in both disbelief in his own power and of Ichigo's sudden change of tact. "Huh? On what?" The grin Ichigo had on his face as he turned to face Satori was oh so satisfying to the boy.

"Welcome to the Gotei thirteen, Kokennin Satori. You'll make a fine vice-captain!"

(A/N): Well, that's it for now folks! I mentioned in my previous chapter that there would be a project to partake in, but as I wrote this chapter, I felt that I should wait until I explain the Quenar to propose it. Therefor, look for the project in the next chapter. Until then, have a good day and as usual, follow and/or like, but in either case, review. Peace out ^_^


End file.
